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Community Church
communitymi.org
From the Pastor
Jesus told the story of the 'Parable of the Talents' where the master gives out an allotment of entrusted resources to his servants. We don’t know exactly what it was - maybe silver, or some kind of coin. We do know that it held value and the master mandated that the servants invest it wisely on his behalf. He gave different amounts to different servants: 1 talent, 2 talents, and 5 talents respectively.
I often wonder if Community Church has been given 5 talents from the Lord. As you consider our 45 year history, I believe and trust that a significant kingdom investment has been made into the lives of thousands of children, students, marriages and souls. Right now, we are continuing to see the fruit of that - new life, repentance, disciple-making, baptisms, and a church that is treasuring and carrying the Gospel to those without Christ. These are futures changed by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Why are we looking to do more, and grow more and influence more?
Jesus concludes the parable with this precept - "The one who risks nothing, does nothing - what little he has will be taken away. And the one who risks everything gets more than he ever imagined." That ‘more’ is not for our own pockets, it's an additional influence that God gives us for His glory.
So we ask ourselves these questions as we look towards the future:
- What would we do as a church if we knew we couldn’t fail?
- How could our communities look different 3 to 5 years from now?
- How can we continue to live out the Gospel daily?
- What might God have for us to do, today and tomorrow?
As we look around all of Central MI, there is a massive need for the grace and truth of Jesus. The idea that we would rest on past accomplishments is unthinkable. The message of the Gospel has never been more urgent or needed. We must ensure that a foundation of Biblically rooted faith continues to multiply and expand. And that is the work of the church.
We want to continue to press in, to show even stronger leadership, to see God’s Gospel footprint grow, and make a greater imprint in Central MI for generations to come - all this for His glory!
The Goals
– Spark a multiplying movement of everyday discipleship.
– Develop leaders to fuel growth and spiritual impact.
All the believers
were united in
heart & mind.
ACTS 4:32
Click here to learn more about how you take part
Click here to learn more
about how you take part
5. Disciple Deep
We will pursue a movement of multiplying disciple-makers – 500 people actively making disciples, sparking a second-generation wave of disciple-makers, and seeing 50% of our Sunday attenders engaged in community groups where real discipleship takes root.
In The Last 12 Months:
- We saw dozens of new Community Groups launch across all our campuses
- The percentage of average group attendance grew by over 7%
- Improvements were made to make groups more easily accessible via communitymi.org/groupfinder
Priorities Ahead:
- Continue to grow groups towards our goal of 50% of Sunday attenders engaged in a Community Group
-Continue to grow the discipleship program and increase those being individually discipled to over 20 people
- Offer Discipleship Bootcamp in Fall 2026 to help equip the entire congregation, grow our core of disciple-makers, and empower Community Groups to replicate the discipleship strategy from Bootcamp
– Spark a multiplying movement of everyday discipleship
4. Lead the Way
The establishment and maintenance of a leadership pipeline, systems and processes for the increased equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry – raising up servant-hearted leaders who will own, lead and multiply the mission of the church, so we’re poised to launch new campuses with strength and clarity. We want to equip leaders to bring heaven to Earth and reach community leaders who are far from Christ.
In The Last 12 Months:
- We began a 5 year commitment to be a Live Simulcast location for the Global Leadership Summit
- We saw over $200,000 committed toward preparation costs for the launch of our fourth campus
- Created opportunities for high-capacity volunteers to engage as ministry coaches: investing in their teams & ensuring each volunteer is individually cared for
Priorities Ahead
- Continue to invest in our local leaders, businesses, & community influencers through the Global Leadership Summit
- Add staffing, resources, & other preparation expenses associated with the launch of our fourth campus, as well as additional staffing roles across all campuses
- Educate the local communities we serve about the human trafficking taking place in our counties & how we can make a difference in pushing back against it
– Develop leaders to fuel growth and spiritual impact.
3. Next Gen Now
– Invest deeply in Gen Z & Gen Alpha with truth and theology.
We will continue to invest into Gen Z & Gen Alpha and focus intentional ministry efforts into their development as committed followers of Jesus Christ. We want to anchor them in the timeless truth of scripture so they can rise above the chaos of the world with clarity, courage and conviction. This will empower them to become leaders and disciple-makers for years to come.
In The Last 12 Months:
-We purchased 465 Bibles to ensure every child/student who needed one received one
-We took six college aged students to Urbana, a missions-focused conference for college students
-We began a discipleship program within the college & young adult ministry where students are paired up with disciple-makers who have been trained through Discipleship Bootcamp
Priorities Ahead
-Increase our emphasis on apologetics & offer opportunities where students can experience catalytic leadership training
-Build a repeatable pathway to help families step into spiritual health with at-home discipleship - equipping parents as the primary disciplers
-Increase scholarship opportunities for students to participate all-church events, trips & retreats
2. Go Global
– Take the Gospel where it has not yet gone.
We are compelled to go where the Gospel has not yet gone, placing feet on the ground where there are none, and investing to see the good news take root where there is no church, no Christian voice and no access to hope. As we reach the unreached, we’re watching for those that God is calling from among us, to equip them and send them where the Gospel is not yet known. We will support the propulsion of the Gospel in five unique places where it is absent.
In The Last 12 Months:
-We saw four trips to four different locations around the globe with 42 participants
-We purchased the installation of five water wells for rural Sierra Leone, as well as safe and reliable transportation for Footprints Ministry and their orphanage
-As a church, we committed 1% ($38,950) of our budget to support a new, permanent missionary from GenZ/Alpha sent from Community Church
Priorities Ahead:
-Continue to commit a tithe (10%) of our annual budget to fund our missions initiatives
-Partner with national organizations (A21 & Destiny Rescue) committed to fighting human trafficking and assisting victims
-Expand our investment in overseas missions opportunities & our partner organizations, while sending support teams to experience life alongside and encourage our long-term mission partners
-Send short-term missionaries and teams to Ireland, Zambia, North Carolina in addition to other established locations
– Be unmistakably present in our community.
1. Serve Local
We are actively relevant in serving our community. The community knows we are here, are glad we are here and are better because we are here. We refuse to sit idly by while there are people hurting in our communities that need to know the Gospel is for them.
In the last 12 months:
-Our Deacon Team received 1,013 requests for assistance & distributed over $110,000 to offer a hand-up, not a hand-out
-Assisted local food banks in Alma, Mount Pleasant & St. Johns with thousands of pounds of food donated non-perishable food items
-We offered $4,500 in scholarships to assist with the costs of families pursuing adoption
-Gave out 100 duffle bags filled with care items & a gift card for every child placed in foster care in Clinton, Gratiot and Isabella County
Priorities Ahead:
- Establish a goal of Community Groups adopting missionaries & local missions organizations and/or groups serving together from all campuses in their local homeless shelters, pregnancy resource centers, food pantries, & more
- Partner with Sacred Beginnings in Michigan to educate & facilitate their organizational growth
- Plan major financial gifts to support local non-profits & ministry partners in Clinton, Gratiot & Isabella Counties